Shri Murudeshwara Temple

Shri Murudeshwara Temple

Atma Lingam

Murudeshwara Temple is situated 16 km from Bhatkal Taluk of Uttara Kannada district in the state of Karnataka, India.  Murudeshwara beach lies on the coast of the Arabian Sea.

Murudeshwara temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, Situated between the Honnavar and Bhatkal town(about 12kms) The statue of Shiva here is the world’s tallest (as claimed) and it lies on the coast of the Arabian Sea. The Statue of Shiva with Ravana handing Atma Linga to Bramhin boy(Lord Ganesha)

“Murudeshwara Temple” is famous for the world’s second-tallest Shiva statue measuring 123 feet (37 m) in height. The statue of Lord Siva is constructed on the top of the small hill called Kanduka Giri next to lord Shiva Temple. The temple also has a 20 storied 249 feet tall Raja Gopuram, which is considered as the tallest gopuram in Asia.  Below are some great photos of the wonderful lord Shiva statue and Raja Gopuram.

The Murudeshwar Temple Story:

Ravana (King of Lanka) prayed and worshiped Lord Shiva to attain immortality by getting the ‘Atma Linga’ Pleased by his prayers, Lord Shiva appeared before him and asked him what he wanted. By this time Narada had asked Lord Vishnu to change Ravana’s mind. As a result of this plot, Ravana asks for Goddess Parvati instead of atma linga and lord Shiva offers Parvati to Ravana. On the way back to Lanka Narada showing the Kali avatar of Parvati tells Ravana that Shiva has not given him the real Parvathi and that the real Parvathi was in Pathala. Ravana frees Kali and went to Pathala and married Mandodari assuming her to be real Parvati. He then returns to Lanka, where his mother asks him for the Linga. Ravana then realizes that he was tricked started worshiping lord Shiva with much more strong devotion. Lord Shiva appears again and this time, Ravana requests theAtmaLinga as his boon. Lord Shiva agrees to give him the boon with the condition that it should never be placed on the ground. If the AtmaLinga was ever placed on the ground, all the powers would return to Lord Shiva again. Having obtained his boon, Ravana started back on his journey to Lanka.

Sage Narada, who came to know of this incident, realised that with the AtmaLinga, Ravana may obtain immortality and create havoc on earth. He approached the Lord Ganesh and requested him to prevent the AtmaLinga from reaching Lanka. Lord Ganesh knew that Ravana was a very devoted person who used to perform prayer ritual in the evening every day without fail. He decided to make use of this fact and came up with a plan to take possession of the AtmaLinga from Ravana.

As Ravana was nearing Gokarna, Lord Vishnu blotted out the sun to give the appearance of dusk. Ravana now had to perform his evening rituals but was worried because with the AtmaLinga in his hands, he would not be able to do his rituals. At this time, Lord Ganesh in the disguise of a Brahmin boy accosted him. Ravana requested him to hold theAtmaLinga until he performed his rituals, and asked him not to place it on the ground. Ganesh struck a deal with him saying that he would call Ravana thrice, and if Ravana did not return within that time, he would place the AtmaLinga on the ground.

As predicted, before Ravana could return after completing his rituals, Ganesh had already placed the AtmaLinga on the ground. Vishnu then removed his illusion and it was daylight again. Ravana, realising that he had been tricked,tried to uproot and destroy it; Due to the force exerted by Ravana, some pieces were scattered. One such piece from the head of the linga is said to have fallen in present day Surathkal .The famous Sadashiva temple is said to be built around that piece of linga. Then he decided to destroy the covering of the AtmaLinga, and threw the case covering it to a place called Sajjeshwara, 23 miles away. Then he threw the lid of the case to a placed called Guneshwara (now Gunavanthe) and Dhareshwara, 10–12 miles away. Finally, he threw the cloth covering the AtmaLinga to a placed called Mrideshwara in Kanduka-Giri (Kanduka Hill). Mrideshwara has been renamed to Murudeshwara.

Murudeshwar Temple Timings:

Morning - 6.00am to 1.00pm

Afternoon - 3.00pm to 8.30pm

Murudeshwar swamy pooja Timings:

Mornings pooja - 6.30 am to 7.30am

Afternoon Maha pooja - 12.15pm to 1.00pm

Night pooja - 7.15pm to 8.15pm

Sl. No.	Details of Seva
1	Serva Deva Pooje
2	Shashwat Annsantarpana
3	Annual Nityaseva Pooja
4	Shashwat Nanda Deepa
5	One Day Annasantarpana
6	Ganahoma
7	Kumbhabisheka
8	Rudrabhisheka
9	Panchambratha Abhisheka
10	Kshirabhisheka
11	Mangalarthi
12	Laddu Prasada
13	Panchakajjaya
14	Co-conut- Set of 2
15	Bilvarchane
16	Thilarchane
17	Chandanabhisheka
18	Bhasmarchane
19	Japa
20	Shivasahasaranama
21	Mrathunjaya Manasa Pooje
22	Thulabara (God's Kanike)
23	Pudi Prasada
24	Flower Pooja
25	Astotthara
26	Ekadasha Rudra
27	Shatharudra (God's Kanike
28	Sudarshana Japa
29	Vadhu-Varara Parvesha
30	Saptashanthi Parayana
31	Lalithasahasranama Pooje
32	Durga Sahasranama
33	Kunkumarchane
34	Upanishath
35	Ganapati Sahasranama
36	Subramanya Sahasranama
37	Anjaneya Sahasranama
38	Navagraha Pooje
39	Paduka Pooje
40	Satyanarayan Kathe. Shanikathe (God's Kanike)
41	Vruthagalu
42	Nagakallu Prasthiste (Place Kanike Only)

How to Reach Murudeshwar Temple:

The Beach Temple of Murudeshwar is about 165 km from Mangalore on the National Highway. Murudeshwara is 1 km detour from the National Highway NH-17 between the towns of Honnavar and Bhatkal.

Murudeshwara or Murudeshwar is 500 km from Bangalore on the Hassan - Mangalore - Udupi - Kundapur route and 470 km from Bangalore on the Shimoga - Kollur route. Bhatkal is about 16 km from Murudeshwar.

Shri Murudeshwara Temple Address

Mhatobar Sri Murudeshwar Temple

Murudeshwar

NH - 17, Bhatkal Taluk

North Kanara Dist.

Karnataka.